Honor is important in this class and each student is responsible for his or her own honorable behavior.
If you have any doubts or questions about a particular situation, please ask me BEFORE you act.
What is honorable behavior in an art class?
- Develop the perceptual skills needed for representational drawing.
- Recognize good design in art and be able to use sound design principles in one’s own artwork.
- Discuss the nature and value of art and begin to relate one’s own art to historical art.
- Identify some artists and periods of art history and discuss their cultural contexts.
- Produce finished artwork using a variety of techniques and media.
- Develop life skills that are needed in any field of study or profession:
- flexibility and adaptability regarding obstacles and challenges
- the ability to innovate and create original solutions
- the ability to assess ones strengths and weaknesses
- the ability to reflect and learn from experiences
- the ability to articulate personal goals
- the ability to take calculated risks
- the ability to approach one's work in a careful and organized manner
- Complete assigned readings in the textbook, Arttalk, by Rosalind Ragans. Books will be signed out to each student at the beginning of the course and collected at the end. Lost books must be replaced at a cost of $ 90. Damaged books will be assessed according to the guidelines for used books and students will be charged accordingly.
- Care for the classroom and materials. Some materials may be signed out so that students can take them home to use in homework assignments. If lost, these must be replaced or paid for.
- Complete classroom assignments on time. A LETTER GRADE IS REMOVED FOR EVERY DAY A HOMEWORK OR CLASS ASSIGNMENT IS TURNED IN LATE, UNLESS PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE WITH THE TEACHER. Any project may be reworked, outside class time, for a better grade.
- Complete homework assignments in your sketchbook. (8" x 11" sketchbook, which can be purchased at the school book store.)
- Participate in class discussions and group critiques.
- Come to class prepared to work. Bring your sketchbook and text to EVERY class.
- MOST IMPORTANT is that you stay focused in the "right side of your brain" while working in class.
- STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WORK AND ASSIGNMENTS MISSED, AND MATERIALS LOST.
- You are required to make a visit on your own to a museum or gallery. A writing/drawing assignment is a part of the visit. Suggestions and guidelines for this follow below.
Project grades = 40%
Sketchbook homework = 20%
Written homework, quizzes = 15%
Essay = 10%
Classroom behavior = 15%
DETAILS:
15% Classroom behavior and work ethic.
10% Essay
15% Written homework, Quizzes
20% Sketchbook
40% Projects
IN OTHER WORDS...
A = All assignments turned in on time, extremely well done,
with thorough understanding of the material. Consistent effort and attendance
record. Great attitude: enthusiastic and willing to work beyond the
requirements. Creative thought and a willingness to experiment. Superb craftsmanship.
B = All assignments turned in on time, well done, with good understanding of the material and generally good craftsmanship. Consistent effort and attendance. On task most of the time. Enthusiastic attitude and evidence of creative thought.
C = All assignments turned in, though
some perhaps not on time. Average craftsmanship and concept. Fair technical competency.
Inconsistent effort and attendance record. Indifferent attitude.
D = Attitude indifferent at best - at times negative.
Student has difficulty in understanding the basic concepts. Most work is uninspired,
accompanied by poor technique.
F = Very little effort, poor attendance, poor technique, and
unwillingness to participate.
*Please see Grading Criteria for more information and project-specific rubrics.
Any project may be reworked for a better grade or extra credit up until the end of the quarter.
What is honorable behavior in an art class?
Homework
You do the required homework yourself, whether this is reading, writing or art making. Asking a friend or relative to do all or part of a drawing, for example, is cheating and will be treated as an honor offense. Even if such cheating is difficult to prove, I will pursue it if I suspect it.
Some homework can be collaborative, some is not. Group work will be assigned as such; all other work is to be done by the individual student, alone.
You do not enable another student to cheat; in other words, you do not share your work with anyone else, even if they ask you to. Enabling = cheating.
Studio Work
Copying or tracing other artists' work is ok IF it is acknowledged in the title of the artwork or in a written commentary, and clearly acknowledged. This would be done in two situations: as an exercise, or as part of an original student artwork where the other artist's work is significantly altered and/or used as only a part of the original student piece.
Copying or tracing (or using in any other way, except as an exercise) ANY PUBLISHED IMAGES such as magazine photos, is an infringement of copyright laws, and is not only dishonorable, but also illegal.
Tests and Quizzes
Each student should do his or her own work only. Tests and quizzes should be pledged, as a test or quiz in any other class.
A complete statement of school rules and policies can be found inside the Student Handbook.
HONESTY
: Be truthful with yourself and others. This applies to all of us in all areas of our lives - academics, personal relationships, group efforts, etc.RESPECT
: Be understanding and be kind. One of the values we all share is the desire to be treated respectfully by others. We owe it to one another to respect our differences. Treating people outside our "group" with disdain by making sexist, racist or other derogatory remarks can only diminish our community.RESPONSIBILITY
: Each of us has responsibilities. The fundamental responsibility is to be respectful of others, but over the course of the year we have a wide variety of responsibilities including doing our school work, working hard at fine arts and athletic practices, following school rules, and meeting other obligations.ACADEMIC HONESTY
Quizzes, tests, and exams are to be the sole work of the individual, with no written, verbal, or other aid, whether planned or accidental. In no case will students be allowed to have in their possession, on their person, or in their immediate and visible vicinity any item or material with information pertinent to any test, quiz, or similar activity without the direct permission of the teacher of the course. Students should meticulously plan to avoid any such instance, knowing that should such occur, it is a major violation of school policy and will be treated as seriously as cheating.
Homework provides a good opportunity to discuss work with a classmate. Working together is permitted only with the approval of the teacher, and all work submitted must be the student's own. Copying is considered to be a violation of the standards of academic honesty. Of course, the primary source of extra help should be the classroom teacher.
Plagiarism is defined as the taking of someone's words and/or ideas and failing to give that person credit. Plagiarism is really stealing and is a serious honor offense. Students may receive help from the teacher on their organization of ideas and syntax. Students who use Internet sources, proofreading help, or any other kind of assistance must acknowledge this in the paper. Students may NOT use "Cliff Notes," "Spark Notes", or any other similar materials. When preparing lab assignments, students are to collect their own data for each experiment unless working with an assigned partner or unless specific permission has been given to use data from another source. When using another's data, proper credit must be given. The purpose, answers to questions, and the conclusion must be in the student’s own words. All papers must be properly documented according to the guidelines in the CCDS Research Manual.
Students are required to sign the Honor Code at the beginning of the year.
The
Elements and Principles of Design
The Elements of Design represent the basic vocabulary, or building blocks, of the language
of Visual Arts.
Line
Shape/Form
Color
Texture
Value
Space
The Principles of Design help you compose a work of art by guiding your use of the basic
vocabulary, or Elements.
Balance - The artist arranges the elements, based on visual weight, in a symmetrical or
asymmetrical manner to create a sense of equilibrium.
Proportion - The relationship or ratio of parts to the whole.
Scale - The relative size of objects within the picture plane. (In 3D Design, Scale has to
do with the relative size of the viewer to the work of art.
Harmony - Within the picture plane, the artist blends the various Elements together to
create a unified image.
Variety - When the artist uses the Elements to create diversity.
Movement - When the artist arranges the Elements to create a sense of action or motion.
Repetition - When the artist duplicates an Element or group of Elements to create patterns
within the picture plane.
Rhythm - The artist creates a visual cadence by the arrangement and placement of Elements.
Emphasis or Focus - How the artist arranges the Elements to attract the viewer's
attention.
Direction - The visual path the artist encourages the viewer to take
through the picture plane.
Unity - The overall synthesis of all the Principles of Design.
The Right and Left Brain Hemispheres
Our brains are divided into two hemispheres - the right and the left. Each hemisphere specializes in different tasks. For example, the left hemisphere is primarily responsible for language and verbal skills. Analytical, rational, and logical thought processes take place primarily in the left hemisphere. The right hemisphere enables us to express ideas nonverbally through its ability to synthesize, to "see the big picture," to imagine in pictures. Because the right hemisphere is not reliant upon language skills, it enables us to understand and respond to our environment directly through our senses. This is important because the right and left hemispheres, working in tandem, help us creatively solve complex problems in any subject. Creativity is a function of both hemispheres working together.
By engaging in the Visual Arts you will develop your capacity to create innovative solutions to complex design problems. Specifically you will develop your ability to see and draw objects by capturing details. You will learn how to invent creative solutions to design problems by seeing relationships, by making leaps of insight, and by perceiving the overall pattern or structure of a thing. By balancing the impatient, left hemisphere (that assimilates information as symbols) with the under-used, image-oriented right hemisphere, you will develop your ability to invent imaginative, divergent, and intuitive compositions that uniquely express your ideas and feelings.
Drawing page of ArtLex.com http://www.artlex.com/ (A good definition of drawing plus many wonderful drawings of famous artists with links to the museums in which these drawings are found.)
ArtLex.com http://www.artlex.com (A great dictionary of art terms, many links, and longer articles on many aspects of art.)
Metropolitan Museum of Art http://www.metmuseum.org/
Museum of Modern Art http://www.moma.org
Louvre http://www.louvre.fr/louvrea.htm
Art History Resources on the Web http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html (A huge, but well-organized site where you can find specific artists' work, specific historical periods and styles, specific museums, and lots more.)
Comic Book Art http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~hellpop/gallery.html (Comic book drawings over the years.)
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection of Drawings http://nmaa-ryder.si.edu
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/ links for students and teachers
